See To Weave

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Imagine if you desperately need reading glasses but couldn’t afford to purchase them? Eyesight plays a vital role in the lives of weavers, but eye care is commonly neglected due to lack of money and affordable Optometrist services. The capacity to clearly see the loom, to assess colours, and to inspect the quality of very detailed work can make the difference between success and failure for a weaver. Poor vision results in slower weaving time, headaches, and mistakes that can cost weavers vital money and even their means of earning a livelihood altogether. WW aims to improve the quality of life of weavers by conducting sight preservation camps in selected weaving centers. Since 2003, under the See To Weave programme, WomenWeave has organized eye camps on a regular basis in Kota-Rajasthan, Chanderi, and Maheshwar in Madhya Pradesh.

Recently, WW has trained 5 staff members from the Maheshwar team through Vision Spring, a USA-based NGO working worldwide to provide training, testing equipment, and glasses. The trainees need not necessarily be well-educated; they can be trained to work out eye screening activity and dispense the glasses at a subsidised cost. Having now trained a WW team at the Maheshwar base, this will enable WW to conduct eye camps in many weaving areas of India.